


Night Shift

by MidnightMare247



Category: Osmosis Jones
Genre: #didn't bother giving main character a name because it's not that important, #the focus is more on Thrax aka the virus in the story, #thrax the red death virus, Mentions of alcohol, Violence, a bit horror-esque, short experimental story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-16 02:51:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18512386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightMare247/pseuds/MidnightMare247
Summary: A red blood cell woman decides to work the night shift at a gas station. Unlucky for her, a certain killer is lurking about, and he happens to be a cold-hearted virus.





	Night Shift

**Author's Note:**

> This story was meant to be a sort of experiment. I wanted to kind of explore two character interactions within a certain situation. As you read this story, you may notice that there aren't really any names mentioned. That is intentional, for I didn't want the focus to be too much on the characters themselves if that makes any sense. In other words, I avoided giving too much information that I thought was unnecessary to the story. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
> 
> (also I wasn't sure whether to rate this teen and up or mature so I chose mature just to be safe) (but it's not really that bad so don't mind the rating)

Working part-time at a gas station wasn’t the most exciting job in the world for a red blood cell. But it wasn’t the worst job either, so the young cell woman couldn’t really complain. As long as she got paid her weekly check, that's all that really mattered. The only thing that really bugs her is when her manager calls her into work the night shift on a weekend day, such as this very night. Working day shift every weekday was enough for her, and yet here her boss was, making her work overtime. At least she would get a little extra pocket money out of the ordeal.

It was already past midnight as the woman wiped down the front counter. There wasn’t much to do at night at the gas station. Occasionally some other blood cell or germ perhaps would stumble into the store, looking to buy some cigarettes or some fuel for their vehicle, but other than that, it was quiet. She preferred it this way – the fewer people, the better. Besides, whenever she was working alone during the night shift, she never felt very safe. If a robber happened to come along, her best defense would be a pocketknife she kept within her back pocket. She knew it might not be too useful, but it did bring her some comfort knowing she had some form of protection on her. 

She continued wiping down the counter, just to pass time, when she spotted a pair of headlights pull into the gas station’s parking lot. The woman watched the vehicle park into the furthest parking space from the gas station itself. It looked to be a van with tinted windows, making it difficult to see who was inside. After a few short seconds, the car door to the driver’s side opened, and out stepped a short figure. It was dark and difficult to see, but the woman could tell by the dark greenish tint - as well as some physical features that she could barely make out - that the figure appeared to be a male germ of some sort. 

‘Another customer. He must be looking to buy some cigarettes, or a beer, maybe…’ The woman thought to herself. 

The woman watched the germ lean against his van, looking around. From his posture, he seemed to be waiting for someone. That’s when she noticed another figure appear from the darkness, seemingly out of nowhere, approaching the germ. This figure was much taller, wearing dark clothing, most notably a dark coat from what she could tell. It was much harder to make out the appearance of this figure, especially considering the figure’s back was turned towards her. 

Both figures appeared to be talking to each other. The woman was curious, wondering why these two people were here and what their conversation was about. What was so important that needed to be discussed in a parking lot in the middle of the night? It just seemed a little…suspicious. She couldn’t help but wonder if some shady business was going on in front of her right now. 

That’s when the woman notices something change. The germ was no longer leaning against the truck and was instead standing straight in front of the taller figure. He looked upset about something, and just barely she could hear his voice as if the germ was shouting. The taller figure, on the other hand, look calm and well composed, despite their back being turned towards her. She still couldn’t tell who or what that tall figure was. 

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the taller figure slammed the germ against the van with brute force. This caused the woman’s body to tense and straighten in alarm. She tried to piece together what was happening as she watched the scene unfold before her. She focused on the two figures intensely and noticed that the upset expression on the germ was now replaced with fear.

The taller figure raised his hand, showing off four long, sharp claws. The longest claw, in particular, ignited and glowed in the darkness, seemingly dangerous as it was raised high above the germ’s head. In one swift motion, the tall figure brought his hand down and slashed the germ right across his neck. The germ grabbed a hold of his own throat desperately, plasma gushing out, before falling lifelessly onto the ground.

The woman’s eyes were wide, her form frozen in shock. She had just witnessed a murder. A full blown murder, right in front of her. Her breath got caught in her throat as the realization dawned on her. She had to get help, fast! She fumbled for her phone from her other back pocket, hastily dialing in three digits. 

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” A calm voice said from the other end of the phone.

“Y-Yes, hello? I need help. I’m at a gas station on 411 James Street, located in the pinkie toe. P-Please send help, there’s been a mur…” 

That’s when she saw it. Two glowing yellow irises staring back at her from outside, belonging to the same tall figure whom she had just witnessed commit murder. The woman stood still, wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights, the phone still in hand. She could hear the faint sound of the 911 operator speaking, trying to talk to her, but she simply couldn’t register what the operator was telling her as she stood trapped in the mysterious figure’s gaze from inside the gas station. 

Then suddenly, the figure moved towards her, slowly. The woman snapped out of her shocked trance as panic now began to overtake her. The figure was coming towards her! She dropped the cellphone, knowing there was no point in talking to the operator now that the figure knew she was there. She had to escape. She shot her head towards the direction of the back door, thinking maybe she could escape from there. Darting towards the back door, she grabbed a hold of the doorknob and desperately tried to open it. It didn’t budge. That’s when she remembered, the door was locked. Employees always kept the back door locked, only being able to open it with the key whenever they needed to. Damn, where did she put that key?

She rushed back to the counter, scrambling to find the key. The figure was getting closer to the gas station, merely seconds away from reaching the front door. The woman’s breath began to grow quick and heavy, pushing and shoving items from off the counter and behind the counter in an attempt to find the key. No luck. The woman realized she couldn’t escape. The figure was too close. She knew she couldn’t fight the figure off, having very little knowledge on how to fight. So with no other options left, the woman quickly got onto the ground and hid behind the counter, shutting her eyes close. 

She heard the sound of a little bell, giving an indication that the front door to the gas station has opened. Her whole body trembled; eyes squeezed shut, hands clasped over her mouth to prevent her from making any noise. She could hear the figure humming a song casually as he approached. She didn’t really recognize the song, but it sounded like an R&B song, maybe. From the sound of the figure’s humming voice, the woman could assume the figure was a male.

The footsteps drew closer and closer - slow but heavy - until it suddenly stopped. Silence. The woman felt a bit of hope, thinking maybe the man wouldn’t find her and would go away. 

But all hope drained away after a voice cut through the silence. 

“How much longer you plan on hiding from me, baby?” A smooth, masculine voice said from the other side of the counter. 

The woman’s eyes widened and she let out a quiet gasp. He knew she was there. There wasn’t much point in hiding anymore. Still, the young woman wasn’t sure if she was ready to face what was in front of her. 

‘Please go away please go away please go away…’ The woman mentally repeated to herself.

“Come on out now. Don’t be shy~” The man’s voice was calm, mocking. 

A whimper escaped the woman’s lips, betraying her wishes. Finally, she spoke up in an attempt to escape the situation.

“U-Um, we’re closed. P-Please come back later.” The woman responded, hoping it would be enough to make the stranger leave.

The man chuckled and sounded as if he was walking around the counter. Whelp, that wasn’t good. She heard him shuffle over in front of her and crouch down, now right in front of her. She could smell his unique scent, but still, her eyes remained shut, until finally, she decided to open them.

It was now confirmed that the person in front of her was indeed a male who also appeared to be a virus of some kind. His skin was devilishly red, with sharp, angular jaws and cheekbones. Short, magenta dreads hung loosely from the sides of his head. His outfit – a black trench coat, grey turtleneck, and black sweatpants – seemed to compliment his intimidating features. Those same two yellow eyes stared down at her, a dangerous glow to them as if looking right into her soul. Crouched down with his sadistic smirk, the man spoke once again.

“Well, what do we have here?” The virus said. 

He raised his hand slowly, reaching out and lifting her chin with the tip of his longest claw. The woman flinched at the touch, knowing very well just how dangerous those claws of his were, especially the longest one. Her body trembled and her breath remained unsteady while the virus eyed her down and examined her. 

“Don’t you know it’s dangerous to be out here alone, little blood cell?” The virus mocked.

He seemed to be toying with her, much to the woman’s discomfort. With a gulp, the woman replied. 

“I-I’m not alone. M-My coworker is in the back room.” The woman lied. 

It was an obvious lie, of course. The statement itself didn’t even seem to faze the virus at all. He just continued to stare her down, claw still underneath her chin. 

“Is that right? Ya know, somehow, I fail to believe that.” The virus replied. 

The little whimper escaped the woman’s throat. She knew she was in a tight spot. If she didn’t act fast, this would surely be her end. There was no telling when the cops would arrive and as far as she knew, there was no getting away from this virus. Then she remembered the pocket knife in her back pocket. Maybe she could use that while the virus wasn’t paying attention. 

“G-Go look for yourself. He’s back there…” The woman persuaded, hoping he would turn his head for just a second, long enough for her to reach for her pocket knife.

The virus didn’t seem fooled, however. He raised a brow and glanced down, noticing her hand was rather close to her back pocket. ‘Shit’ the woman thought. She quickly tried to grab the knife, only to be stopped as the virus caught her wrist with his other hand, squeezing tightly. The woman winced from his strong hold. 

“Nice try.” The virus mocked, pushing his claw closer to the woman’s neck.

She was running out of options. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no way to fight back. What else could she do other than pleading for her life and hope that the virus would spare her? Though judging by how quickly he slaughtered that germ and the evil expression he wore on his face, she knew her chances of being spared were very, very slim. But still, she had to try. 

“P-Please don’t kill me.” The woman begged. 

“Why shouldn’t I? I know you’ve seen some things you weren’t supposed to. I can’t have you running around snitching to the cops, now can I?” 

Well, she already snitched to the cops. But she wasn’t going to let the virus know that. Perhaps if she could buy herself some time, the cops would come and save her. 

“I won’t tell anyone.” The woman said.

“That’s what they all say.” 

The virus was beginning to look bored. The cell tried to think of something else to say, anything that would prevent the virus from killing her. 

“W-What if we made a deal? I-I have money, a c-car. Just tell me what you want!” The woman said in an attempt to negotiate. 

The virus looked as if he was actually considering this, and for a moment, the woman felt a sense of hope. But that hope was instantly drained when the virus spoke again. 

“No thanks. Now, hold still.” 

Suddenly, the claw close to her neck ignited. The woman gasped, sinking as far back against the counter as she could. The woman could feel the heat radiating off from it against her face. This was it; there’s no way out of this. She closed her eyes, whispering a silent prayer in her mind as she braced herself. 

Then suddenly, they both heard the bell of the front door, as if someone just walked inside. The woman peeked an eye open and saw the virus staring over the counter as if something had caught his attention. He was distracted.

This was her chance. 

With one swift motion, the woman raised her leg and kicked the virus away, sending him stumbling backward. Then she quickly stood up and leaped over the counter, darting towards the front door. The customer – a middle-aged red blood cell man - that had just walked into the store stood with a confused expression.

“Get out! Go!” The woman warned the man before running past him and darting out of the door.

“Hey, wait a minute, what’s going-“

Before the unsuspecting man could understand what was happening, an ignited claw penetrated straight through him from behind. A cry of agony was heard behind her as the woman ran, but she didn’t dare look back. She rushed around the gas station to the back where her car was located. 

She shoved her key hastily into the car door, unlocking it, then hopped into the driver’s seat. She slammed the car door shut and put the keys into the ignition, not bothering to put on her seatbelt. 

“Come on, come on!” The woman said, growing more panicked by the second.

Once the car started up, she quickly pulled out of the parking lot and sped out of the gas station, a screeching sound emitting as she drove off. Her heavy breathing finally began to slow and settle as she drove down the deserted road, watching the gas station slowly disappear out of sight from the side mirror as she drove farther from it. 

She took a deep breath, relaxing against her seat on exhale. She was alive. She was so sure that she was going to die in that gas station, and yet here she was, alive. A wave of relief washed over her as she drove straight down the road. She was never going to forget this night, nor that poor, unsuspecting cell who had unknowingly saved her but died in the process.

On the bright side, at least she would have a cool story to brag to her friends and family about how she survived the murderous clutches of a virus. Who was that guy, anyway? She did not recognize the kind of virus he was. She could remember all the details, though: his dangerously sharp claws, his devilish red skin, and especially those cruel yellow eyes that belonged to a murderer. 

She felt a chill go up her spine just from thinking about it. Thank the human body she never had to see that face again. 

At least that’s what she thought until she looked into the rear-view mirror.

“Hey baby~” 

She heard the smooth voice of that same virus as he sat casually behind her seat, a mocking smirk plastered on his face as he stared back at the woman from the rear-view mirror. The woman gasped and without a second thought, turned the steering wheel so hard while stomping on the breaks, causing the car to spin.

It was an act of panic, now losing control of the vehicle as it tumbled off the road. The woman screamed as she rolled down the hill with the car, no time to process what was happening. Eventually, the car crashed into something. The force caused all the windows to shatter immediately. The car was upside down, bits and pieces of scraps scattered within the car.

The woman found herself laying on her stomach, groaning as a dull pain spread through her body. She was sure she had at least five bruises, a dozen scratches and some glass penetrating her membrane. She could taste cytoplasm in her mouth and her head felt dizzy. After about a minute of adjusting, she weakly tried to crawl out from the now broken window of the car. She only made it halfway before she felt a sharp pain and yelped, collapsing. She was in too much pain to move.

With half her body now laid out of the window, she laid there, feeling the urge to cry. How did this happen? Why did this happen? All she wanted was a stupid bonus on her paycheck. It was not worth any of this shit. 

Then she heard it. Slow clapping from nearby, growing closer as something – no, someone, approached her. She could already guess who it was. With heavy eyelids, she shifted her eyes up to see the virus, standing over her with that cocky look on his face while slowly clapping his hands. 

What an ass.

“Bravo, little blood cell. You put on quite a show.” The virus teased. “You even managed to escape from me while I was distracted. I must say, I’m a little impressed.” 

The virus crouched down in front of her, once again. At this point, the woman was too tired to put up any more of a fight. She just laid there, glaring up at the virus across from her. 

“F-Fuck you.” The woman replied. 

The virus was not fazed as she lifted her chin with his claw, once again. 

“Awe, don’t be like that, baby. Besides, it ain’t my fault you crashed your car. Maybe you should keep your eyes on the road next time.”

The virus laughed cruelly. The woman let out a defeated grunt and closed her eyes. She had run out of luck, it seems. There was absolutely no way she would escape this time, not while in the state she was in. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wondered what she could have done differently. What would her friends and family do when they realized she was dead? Would they even find her body here? All these thoughts swam in her mind as two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks.

Then she heard it. Sirens. Distance sirens of police cars coming from down the road. The woman opened her eyes in surprise. The virus also seemed to notice the police sirens growing nearer, based on the expression on his face. The virus had a thoughtful expression on his face, contemplating something. Then the virus looked back down at her, his smirk returning.

“You know what? I’m in a good mood, tonight. I think I’ll let you live. After all, I enjoyed our little game of chase.” The virus said, nonchalantly moving a strand of hair out of the cell’s face, still toying with her. 

The girl looked at him confusingly. Was he just trying to give her false hope, as if pushing her buttons? Before she could question it, the virus spoke again. 

“But don’t be mistaken. If you rat me out to the cops and I get discovered in this body because of you, I will hunt you down and kill you.” The virus warned. 

With that said and done, the virus retraced his hand from her face and stood back up, walking off into the darkness. The woman felt a mix of emotions as she watched the virus disappear. No doubt, the virus only spared her so as to not leave any evidence that he was there for the police to find. That was the most logical explanation, right? Then again, there was also the body of the germ he slaughtered and the blood cell customer at the gas station. The sirens grew closer now, and soon the police would arrive and spot her there by the crashed car. 

The woman let out a sigh. 

She was never working the night shift again.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I noticed the story may have started off a little more horror-esque than I intended, but let me know what you think! Also yes, in case you are wondering, the virus in the story is indeed Thrax from the Osmosis Jones movie. The reason I didn't mention his name is because I thought it would make less sense if I did, considering the main character doesn't really know who he is. 
> 
> This was just an experiment, I do plan on writing more Osmosis Jones stories soon that are actually about the characters in the movie. So if you're an OJ fan and you enjoyed the story, then stay tuned! =)


End file.
